Behind the Scenes: A Royal Plot
by chardy1366
Summary: The Soul King saw Aizen's betrayal coming. He sent his 2 most powerful bodyguards to influence the outcome. Meet Tsurugi and Isshin. Slight crossover with Rurouni Kenshin, being a zanpakuto. Ongoing, when the muse speaks to me.


New Bleach Fanfic

137 years ago...

"Its time. Are you sure you two wish to go through with this?" asked the Soul King of his two most faithful guardians. "If not us, then whom? If we don't intervene, then Aizen will succeed in his schemes. We all felt it the day he was born. We all know what will transpire, and the consequences of our inaction. Besides, it might be nice to start all over again", replied Tsurugi Antacchaburu, personal bodyguard of the Soul King. He turned and nodded to his friend and disappeared in a flash of light. The Soul King turned to the other, an older looking man wearing a black cloak perpetually fluttering in some invisible wind. Taking off his sunglasses, Zangetsu nodded and left for his room. It wasn't quite his time yet, that would come in another 128 years.

Soul Society, District 08

It was an odd feeling, being born again. Especially considering Tsurugi had done this all before, multiple times before in fact. He still retained some memories, but inevitably, some were lost in the process of rebirth. It was always the same. He had a mission, knew he was here for a reason, but couldn't remember. It wasn't important at the moment though. His primary goal became growing up, seeing as how he was a baby once again. So he focused on the task at hand and began his life anew, again, for perhaps the umpteenth time he could remember.

7 Years later

Tsurugi was out in the market one day when he noticed him, or rather noticed his slight spirit energy. The boy appeared to be about the same age as he, and otherwise insignificant. But he did have that faint glow that Tsurugi was familiar with. It was amazing to see it in someone so young. Tsurugi made his way over to the boy and struck up a conversation. "Hi, my name is Tsurugi Antacchaburu. What is your name?" The boy replied without the slightest bit of hesitation, "My name is Isshin Kurosaki, nice to meet you. Do you want to go play? There isn't really all that many kids around." Tsurugi nodded an affirmative and off the boys ran. They became fast friends. Always together, and subsequently, always up to mischief. Their favorite pastime however, was playing soccer. Everyday, back and forth they went with the ragged ball they had managed to find.

It was on one of these days, of soccer filled fun with any other children they could find, that they noticed the young man smiling and watching them with rapt attention. He was noticeably cleaner than all the rest, and just seemed on the whole, out of place. Still, Tsurugi being the forward person that he was, asked the stranger to join them. He was very hesitant, but in the end, he was just too excited and curious to say no. With the addition of the new kid, the number of players became 6. Tsurugi suggested that they divide up and form teams of 3, and see who was the best. The other kids agreed and jumped to the other side of the ball, leaving Isshin, Tsurugi, and the new kid. The game began and quickly escalated into quite a sight, both teams struggling to defeat the other. There was a high level of excitement that hung in the air, that not even passersby could ignore. Pretty soon, the field was surrounded with adults and children cheering and watching the 6 children play. The game abruptly ended however, when a soul reaper stepped onto the field. He was an older gentleman, wearing a white haori that many recognized as the mantle of a captain of the 13 Court Guard Squads. He grimaced as he looked and the newest player who simply hung his head and walked forward mumbling "Sorry Grandfather". Before he could turn on his heel to leave with his grandson, Tsurugi approached and spoke, "I am sorry sir, we did not mean to get your grandson in trouble. Please don't be mad at him, as it was myself and Isshin that started this game and invited others to play. But I must say, your grandson is very talented, and we would like it if he were able to come back some time and play with us again." Ginrei Kuchiki was shocked. The young man in front of him had effectively disarmed him with his manners and mannerisms. He tried to take responsibility, and also showed no fear. He had to ask, "What is your name?". "My name is Tsurugi Antacchaburu, and this is my friend Isshin Kurosaki." came the reply accompanied with a bow. "I am Captain Ginrei Kuchiki and this is my grandson Byakuya, it is a pleasure to meet you. What is this game that you were playing?" "It is called soccer, a game that in the hands of skilled players can teach strategy, balance, sharpen reflexes, and also relaxation," replied the sly youth sounding more like a used-car salesman. "Why is it that you note relaxation with the other traits?" questioned the elder Kuchiki. Tsurugi smiled, he had him. "One can train all his life, and never live much of a life. One can spend his life in idle pursuits, and die alone and empty. It is when he learns structure and relaxation, that one truly lives. It is the same with crafting swords. It is possible to overwork the blade and be left with weakened metal, just as it is possible to not spend enough time folding the metal and therefore being left with an inferior product. The smith must know when to swing the hammer, and also when to let the metal cool." Ginrei was impressed by this common boy, he clearly had learned some important lessons in his short time. "Come to the 3rd district, the Kuchiki mansion is located there. I will make sure that Byakuya has time for this 'soccer' on Tuesday and Thursday afternoon." Byakuya's face lit up and he waved goodbye as he turned to catch up with his grandfather.

The days passed by for the 3 boys. They met every Tuesday and Thursday to play. All three looked forward to their time together, Byakuya more so than the other two. He didn't want them to know, but they were his only friends, and the only other kids he knew that were the same age as he. Ginrei realized this as well and made sure that nothing ever interferred with his grandson's 'soccer' time. Of course, Ginrei had gotten a large portion of the estate converted for the now 12 year old boys to use as a soccer field, and also some better equipment. It was on one of these days, the 3 boys were playing, when suddenly Tsurugi stopped and looked toward one of the walls. The other two boys followed his line of sight and beheld a dark-skinned beauty with a head of purple hair. Tsurugi merely stared, Isshin drooled, while Byakuya yelled about the crazy "were-cat". She smiled and jumped down off the wall and approached the boys. "Hey little Byakuya. Who are your two friends?" said Yoruichi Shihoin. Isshin remained drooling unable to create a coherent sentence. She noticed that the other new boy was still facing the wall staring. Byakuya finally opened his mouth and said " these are my two friends Isshin, the drooling one, and Tsurugi, the frozen one." "I'm not frozen, I'm just waiting on the other to come out. I can sense her behind the wall." responded Tsurugi. Yoruichi was impressed. Not only had he noticed her instantly upon sitting on the wall, but he could sense her bodyguard, Soi Fon, hiding behind the wall. "Soi Fon!" the call went out and she instantly appeared on one knee next to Yoruichi. "My name is Yoruichi, captain of squad 2 and this is my personal bodyguard, Soi Fon. Its nice to meet you Tsurugi." And it was then that she noticed that he had not taken his eyes off of Soi Fon. He held out a shaky hand towards Soi Fon, with a slight blush on his cheeks. Of course, she merely glared at the common boy who interrupted her duty. Tsurugi spoke up with a slightly shaky voice, "Would you like to play with us?" She did not respond, but Yoruichi amused with the obvious attraction Tsurugi had towards her Little Bee, volunteered her to play anyway. Soi Fon was shocked and angry, and tried to argue, to no avail. Yoruichi just laughed and told her it was an order for her own good. She left the center of the field and joined Ginrei on the sidelines. They watched as the 4 played, kicking the ball back and forth with skill and determination. "Quite the interesting pair, especially that Tsurugi," said Yoruichi turning to Ginrei. "They not only both have a substantial spirit energy, but the one, Tsurugi, has an intellect to match. Which is why I called you over. I would like your help with getting them into the Shino Academy. I can use my influence to get one in, but not both. I was hoping to have your support and get the other in too." finished Ginrei. "Sure," she replied. They both enjoyed tea, as the 4 soon to be teenagers enjoyed the rest of their afternoon playing 2-on-2 soccer.

A bell tolled at 5 o'clock signifying the end to another day of fun for the 4 teenagers. In the past year, none of them had missed a single Tuesday or Thursday together, as Yoruichi had made sure that Soi Fon showed up. And admittedly, Soi Fon enjoyed the time as much as the boys. "Before you two take off, Captain Shihoin and I have something we wish to discuss with you two," said Ginrei to the 2 boys. " We have obtained permission from the Head Captain for you both to attend Shino Academy. Normally, it only possible for nobles to attend and become shinigami. But occasionally, we encounter souls with a strong spiritual presence and we become a benefactor of sorts for these souls to attend. I have agreed to sponsor you Tsurugi, and Lady Shihoin has agreed to sponsor Isshin. This is a great honor, but we wouldn't dream of forcing either of you to go. So what say you?" Tsurugi looked at Isshin, who simply nodded with his mouth gaped open. He turned back to Ginrei and told him they accepted. "Just one question though: What about Byakuya and ..Soi Fon? Are they also going?" asked Tsurugi, still getting a little blush when mentioning Soi Fon's name. Yoruichi handled the reply. "I'm sorry boys, neither of them will be able to go. Byakuya has private tutors and is heir to one of the 4 major noble families. It would be impossible for him to attend and get tutored in the arts of nobility. And as for Soi Fon, her family are my personal bodyguard. Her training is solely within the onmitsukido and the rest of her time is spent by my side. We wanted you 4 to enjoy the time you had together, but regardless of this outcome, Byakuya and Soi Fon both had other matters to attend to. This could only last for so long. I'm sorry boys, and I'm also sorry to you Soi Fon." And there was a hint of sadness on all of their faces. Tsurugi and Isshin both thanked their new benefactors and also said goodbye to their friends, after learning that shinigami weren't allowed to just randomly visit the academy. So with a letter of acceptance in each of their hands, the boys set off towards the Shino Academy.

Both Isshin and Tsurugi proved to be prodigies. By the end of the first year, both had almost completely mastered all 4 courses of the shinigami school: Kido, Spiritual energy, hand-to-hand, and swordplay. Tsurugi and Isshin were both so good at sword play that none of the graduating class could defeat them. They both had already manifested their zanpakutos and also obtained shikai. Isshin's 'Engetsu' became a shorter katana and had a particularly nasty attack called 'Getsuga Tensho', while Tsurugi's 'Himura Kenshin' transformed into a reverse blade sword and boasted the 'Hiten Mitsurugi style' (Flying Heaven Honorable Sword Style). Ever since Tsurugi had obtained his shikai though, he was undefeated. And little did anyone know, Tsurugi knew his bankai, but refrained from using it. He feared until he regained his complete power, he could not properly control 'Amakakeru Ryu no Hirameki' (Heavens Gliding Dragon Flash). It was agreed that even though both boys were superior to the graduating class in every way, they would remain another year to be 15 years of age before they graduated. They could barely wait. They absorbed every piece of information thrown at them, and learned enough hado and bakudo spells to gain them entry into the kido corps, if they so desired. They didn't. They were both anxious to get out and join a squad.

Their second year passed without much fanfare. They were still the two top students. They were still both prodigies, but they had learned all their teachers could pass on. Graduation came and just like every other year, it ended with exhibition matches between the graduating students in front of the assembled Captains and lieutenants of the 13 Court Guard Squads. They had to see what they were getting after all. This year though, the assembled crowd got more than they bargained for when the final match began. Tsurugi faced off against Isshin. Both smiled and bowed to the audience, and then to each other as they prepared to put on a show for all those present. As soon as the referee yelled "Fight!" the two charged at each other. The clang of metal on metal rang out across the arena. Both fighters used flash step to out maneuver the other, though neither gained an advantage. Isshin finally jumped back and called 'Engetsu', while Tsurugi called 'Himura Kenshin Hiten Mitsurugi Style'. Both fighters spirit energy jumped significantly. Isshin gained both speed and strength, and Tsurugi seemingly gained pure speed. When Isshin again closed the distance, it became apparent that Tsurugi had the advantage. His swordplay was perfect, there was no weakness, and he was also able to exploit every gap in Isshin's defense. But Isshin was not out of the fight yet. He finally got some space between he and Tsurugi and fired a Getsuga Tensho. Now it was Tsurugi on the retreat. Everytime he would try to close the distance, Isshin would sling another getsuga tensho at him. He couldn't completely withstand the attack either, so he was forced to dodge and retreat. It was during this retreat phase that he took notice of the crowd. In particular, he noticed _**her **_sitting next to Yoruichi. And that was also when Tsurugi made the first mistake, he took his eyes off of his opponent. He was completely blindsided with a getsuga tensho. His body was hurled with great force into the ground. He stood up on shaky legs and realized he couldn't move his left arm at all. Isshin smirked at his fortune and yelled for him to give up. Tsurugi then made his second mistake when he let his pride take over. He would not lose in front of Soi Fon! He could not! He still had his ace in the hole! The crowd was shocked by what he yelled next. "Bankai!" "Himura Kenshin Awaken Hitokiri Battosai". As the smoke cleared, everyone noticed Tsurugi in a wide stance with his right foot toward Isshin, who stood 50 yards away. Tsurugi calmly sheathed his reverse blade sword and let his hand hover over the handle. No one spoke the spiritual pressure was immense and the crowd waited with baited breath. Isshin didn't know what to think, but he knew he was in trouble. He decided to throw another getsuga tensho to help keep the distance. As he went to draw back, he heard the phrase "Sou Ryu Sen" and before he could blink, Tsurugi was standing in front of him slashing. He felt the cut across his stomach and chest, but never even saw the blade leave the sheath. Not many in the crowd were able to follow it either. Everyone was shocked at this display of power and speed. As Tsurugi's arm finished the arc of his slice, he completed his third and final mistake. He immediately realized his error, and fell to the ground catching his best friend as he collapsed. As he caught him, blood spewed from his wound that went from his right hip all the way up to his left shoulder. He had used the dull side of his sword, but the attack was so powerful and so uncontrolled that it didn't matter.

As they landed on the ground, Tsurugi was met by Captain Unohana and her new seventh seat, Isane Kotetsu. Unohana Immediately called her manta ray and took Isshin to the Squad Four Emergency medical unit. Tsurugi hung his head in shame. He had lost control. He had crossed the line. He had possibly lost his best friend. Ginrei and Yoruichi approached him and tried to comfort him, but he couldn't hear their words. The tears fell freely from his eyes as he shook from sobbing. "It was an accident. I know you didn't mean to hurt him, so don't beat yourself up." Those words cut through the fog. He turned his head to see who said it and saw Soi Fon with a pained expression on her face. His voice was barely a whisper as he said "It was my fault. I saw you in the crowd and let myself get distracted. When he hit me, I decided I couldn't lose in front of you. I don't know why I felt the need to prove myself to you, I just knew I didn't want to appear weak and lose. I used an attack that I could not control and may lose my best friend because I was trying to impress you." He hadn't actually meant for her to hear his words, but years of stealth force training allowed not only her, but also Yoruichi to hear his confession. Soi Fon didn't understand, so she gave voice to her uncertainty. "Why were you trying to impress me?" Tsurugi was shocked she had heard him, but as always, he rolled with the punches and spoke more calmly. "Because I like you." Soi Fon turned a bright red at the revelation, something that didn't go unnoticed by Yoruichi. Just this once, she decided to save the teens some embarrassment and interrupted. "Come on. Let's go check on Isshin and see how he's doing." So Yoruichi, Tsurugi, Soi Fon, and Ginrei headed to Squad Four to learn about their friend.

Three hours had passed, and during that time, the foursome was joined by Byakuya. Captain Unohana and Seventh Seat Isane were still working on Isshin. Everyone had no choice but to wait. Four sat and worried, while the fifth sank into sorrow at his own weakness. After the fifth hour passed, Unohana finally came out looking exhausted. She gave a tired smile and told them everything was gonna be alright. In fact, he was lucid and asking for Tsurugi. He headed in, but not before being warned to keep the patient calm so his wounds wouldn't re-open. Tsurugi enter the room to see all manner of machines connected and beeping. In the middle was Isshin with a little smile on his face. He weakly said "Hey." "Hey yourself." Tsurugi didn't know how to begin with his friend, and Isshin couldn't figure out what was wrong with Tsurugi. They sat in silence staring at each other. Finally Tsurugi spoke, "I'm sorry Isshin. I lost control of myself and used an attack that I couldn't control. I let my emotions get the better of me and you paid the price. I understand if you are mad at me and just want me to leave." As he spoke the words, he began to tear up. Isshin for his own part became more confused. "Just what the hell are you talking about. Why would I be mad and what would I want you to leave for?" "But I..." "I heard what you said the first time, now shut it. You beat me, and it was after all a sparring match. Not only that, I saw your bankai, and it was awesome." "But you almost died." "Almost being the keyword there. I didn't, I'm gonna be ok. You're my best friend, don't worry about it." Tsurugi smiled at his long time friend. "Thank you Isshin." "No problem," he replied, "Just one thing though..." "Oh?" "Don't ogle girls in the middle of a sparring match, even if it is that little assassin that you are so infatuated with. It almost made you lose." Isshin was smiling at his beet red friend now. Once again, that statement wasn't missed by the two Squad 2 members. One was blushing like crazy while the other was laughing up a storm. She couldn't let it go a second time. As soon as Tsurugi emerged from the ICU and entered the waiting room, Yoruichi chimed in. "It seems my Little Bee has become the object of affection from a certain brand new shinigami." And with that statement, Yoruichi burst out laughing at Soi Fon and Tsurugi's discomfort and embarrassment.

It was two full weeks before Isshin was fully recovered and released from Squad Four. Now here they were, Isshin and Tsurugi, standing before Yamamoto. "That was a very impressive match we all witnessed. Of course, I would expect no less from the great Tsurugi, Untouchable sword and personal bodyguard of his Highness, the Soul King." Isshin stood in shock and awe of his friend, while Tsurugi never uttered a word. "So what brings you back to Soul Society?" questioned Yamamoto. "I don't remember" was his only reply. Yamamoto grimaced, trying to decide if he was trying to be aloof, or telling the truth. Tsurugi sensed his tension, and decided to put his mind to rest. "I can't remember my exact mission at the moment, but when I do remember, there is no gaurantee that I can inform you of what it is. I am sorry to be interfering again. I had hoped to not have to again after forcing you to take up the reigns on the 13 Court Guard Squads so many, many years ago." "So...what am I to do with you?" asked Yamamoto. Tsurugi had been waiting for this question to come from his former student. Tsurugi proposed to serve faithfully under Ginrei Kuchiki to pay off his debt to the man, with Isshin doing a similar tour-of-duty with Yoruichi Shihoin. The length of said tour was five years, at the end of which, Yamamoto would propose to create a special division for Tsurugi and Isshin. This new unit would consist solely of Tsurugi as captain and Isshin as Lieutenant, and he would become the Rurouni Taicho (wandering captain) stationed in the human world. Regardless of his personal feelings on the subject, Yamamoto knew that he couldn't refuse him. He knew that he couldn't meddle in the affairs of the royals, who had obviously sent Tsurugi back for a very important mission that he may or may not be privy to. Reluctantly, he agreed to the proposal.

Five years came and went in the flash of an eye. The only thing of remarkable importance that occurred was Tsurugi Antacchaburu's appointment of Wandering Captain, and his selection of only one squad member in the form of his lieutenant Isshin Kurosaki.


End file.
